KNOXVILLE - The University of Tennessee announced the football schedule for the 2013 season, with the Vols slated to host seven games at Neyland Stadium next fall.

The slate of conference home games includes visits from Georgia (Oct. 5), South Carolina (Oct. 19), Auburn (Nov. 9) and Vanderbilt (Nov. 23), while Tennessee plays on the road against Southeastern Conference opponents Florida (Sept. 21), Alabama (Oct. 26), Missouri (Nov. 2) and Kentucky (Nov. 30).

The Vols open the season with consecutive non-conference games against Austin Peay (Aug. 31) and Western Kentucky (Sept. 7). Tennessee will return its game with Oregon on Sept. 14 as the Vols head to the west coast for the first time since opening 2008 at UCLA. The Vols final non-conference game takes place on Sept. 28, as South Alabama comes to Neyland Stadium.

The 2013 schedule has 14 playing weekends which provides for two open dates for each institution, and Tennessee will have open dates on Oct. 12 and No. 16.

The Vols will be playing Austin Peay and South Alabama for the first time in history, and South Alabama will be in its first year as a full-fledged FBS team and compete in the Sun Belt. The games with Oregon and Western Kentucky will be the game with each program. The Ducks travelled to Neyland in 2011 while the Vols opened the 2009 season with a 63-7 win over WKU.

Auburn will be the only SEC foe on the 2013 schedule that Tennessee doesn't face in 2012, and the Vols last played the Tigers in 2009 in Knoxville. Tennessee will also be making its first-ever visit to Missouri, with that game slated for November 2.

The 2013 SEC schedule is considered a “bridge” schedule and not based on any other previous or future scheduling formats. The SEC Athletics Directors will convene in Spring 2013 to begin formulating schedules for the 2014 season and beyond.

Information regarding game times and television broadcast information is typically released two weeks before each individual game. Additionally, information regarding season and individual-game tickets will be released in 2013.

2013 Tennessee Football Schedule

Aug. 31 - AUSTIN PEAY

Sept. 7 - WESTERN KENTUCKY

Sept. 14 - at Oregon

Sept. 21 - at Florida*

Sept. 28 - SOUTH ALABAMA

Oct. 5 - GEORGIA*

Oct. 12 - Open Date

Oct. 19 - SOUTH CAROLINA*

Oct. 26 - at Alabama*

Nov. 2 - at Missouri*

Nov. 9 - AUBURN*

Nov. 16 - Open Date

Nov. 23 - VANDERBILT*

Nov. 30 - at Kentucky*

*-SEC Games; Complete Times, TV will be announced at a later date.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)